John Martyn. No Little Boy (Festival)
OKAY, okay, I know John Martyn has been making music since the dawn of time and his albums always sell well, but that doesn't mean I have to like them.
No Little Boy is a collection of tracks spanning about 20 years but it's not a good indication of an album when the listener finds her mind wandering to more interesting things - like what to cook for dinner.
There was the occasional song which caught this listener's attention -Sunday's Child to name one- but not enough to sustain interest for nearly an hour and a half.
The music is pleasant enough, and Martyn's voice is tuneful, it's just dull (although fans of middle-of-the-road music and listeners to the new Canberra FM station might disagree).
A Who magazine reviewer once said that Richard Marx was for people who found Bryan Adams far too cutting edge. Well, John Martyn is for those who find Richard Marx too experimental. (5)
sitenotes:
This review was published in the Canberra Times of Monday 21 March 1994 together with some other CD releases.